Detergent compositions



Patented Sept. 12, 1950 2,522,446 DETERGENT ooMrosrnoNs Jay C. Harris, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Monsanto Chemical Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application November 23, 1948, Serial No. 61,739

Claims.

1 This invention relates to detergent compositions suitable for washing textiles and for other purposes. It relates particularly to detergent compositions which may be used in automatic washing machines which are constructed in whole or in part of vitreous enameled steel or of aluminum.

In an earlier copending application in the name of Milton Kosmin, Serial No. 718,133, filed December 23, 1946, which application is assigned to the same assignee as is the present case, there is disclosed the condensation products of tertiary mercaptans having from 6 to 20 carbon atoms with ethylene oxide. The tertiary mercaptans are preferably derived from polymerized olefins, as described in U. S. Patent No. 2,392,555. As described in the above-entitled pending application, the condensation product may be produced so as to contain as much as 40 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of mercaptan. For detergent purposes, however, condensation products containing from 5 moles to 20 moles of condensed ethylene oxide per mole of mercaptan are preferred.

For the production of detergent compositions employing the tertiary mercaptan-ethylene oxide condensation product as the active ingredient, it has also been proposed in the above copending application that the composition contain alkali metal phosphates. Suitable phosphates may consist of a sodium tripolyphosphate,

NaaPaOm or tetrasodium pyrophosphate, NaaPzO-z, or fused or sintered products approximating these compositions or mixtures thereof. It is also possible to incorporate in the composition other inorganic water-soluble salts, such as sodium carbonate, so-

dium bicarbonate, sodium sesquicarbonate, as well as sodium sulfate, sodium borate, etc.

I have now found that when such compositions, as above mentioned, are employed in automatic laundry devices, such as household washing machines, constructed in whole or in part of aluminum or of vitreous enameled steel, the surfaces of these devices which are exposed to contact with detergent solutions are etched or corroded so as to lead to an undesirable roughening of the surfaces so exposed and in some cases to failure of the vitreous coating.

I have further found that substantially complete protection can be obtained by including in the detergent compositions from 10% to 25% by weight of a solid sodium silicate, wherein the M120 SiOz mole ratio is between 1:2 and 11 .2,.

The percentage of the silicate stated above is based upon' the anhydrous form. The liquid form of sodium silicate known as water glass should not be employed because of its adverse effect on the product. The phosphates and the carbonates in the composition may be in the hydrated or anhydrous form; however, when water of hydration is present allowance should be made for the amount present in order to maintain the ingredients when dissolved in water within the range disclosed and claimed.

The present compositions should also contain alkaline builders such as tetrasodium pyrophos phate or the sodium tripolyphosphate, NasPaOm, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, or mixtures of these salts in the proportions stated. Starch may be present in the amount stated. The NazO S102 ratio of the sodium silicates employed should be held within the limits stated so that the solid silicates will dissolve in the detergent solution at a. rate sufliciently rapid so that they will be effective for corrosion prevention from the instant of solution of the detergent. They should, moreover, be employed in the amount stated, since I have found that quantities below the lower limits stated above are ineffective for the purpose, while quantities above the upper limit are undesirable, because of an adverse effect upon the detersive efliciency of the composition.

The composition of my present detergent prodnot, together with the range of ingredients effective for the present purpose is as follows, all parts being by weight and based on the anhydrous ingredients:

Parts Condensation product of a tertiary mercaptan with 6-20 carbon atoms with from 5 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of mercaptan 15-25 Tetrasodium pyrophosphate or sodium tripolyphosphate 20-60 Sodium silicate (anhydrous) NazO S102 ratio of 1:2 to 1:3 10-25 Starch 0-20 Alkaline material selected from the class consisting of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and mixtures thereof 10-25 Carboxy methyl cellulose 0.5-5

Total to give parts of detergent composition.

For washing soiled textiles, the above composition is dissolved in hot water to give preferably a 0.1% solution, although other concentrations m y a so be employed.

3 The following more specific examples illustrate this invention:

Example 1 A composition consisting of an intimate mixture of the following ingredients is prepared, the proportions being based on the anhydrous salts:

Parts Condensation product of one mole of tertiary dodecyl mercaptan with moles of ethylene oxide Tetrasodium pyrophosphate Sodium car 24 Sodium silicate, N820 :SiOa=1:2 Carboxy methyl cellulose 1 Total 100 Example 2 Parts Condensation product of one mole of tertiary dodecyl mercaptan with 15 moles of ethylene oxide 20 Sodium tripolyphosphate 40 Sodium carbonate 15 Sodium silicate (anhydrous),

N820 8102:1132 10 Starch 14 Carboxy methyl cellulose 1 Total 100 Example 3 Parts Condensation product of one mole of tertiary tetradecyl mercaptan with 20 moles of ethylene oxide 20 Tetrasodium pyrophosphate 40 Sodium sesquicarbonate 18 Sodium silicate, N820 S102=1i2 20 Carboxy methyl cellulose 2 Total 100 The above compositions provide maximum detergency without noticeable corrosive action upon vitreous enamel or upon aluminum washer baskets.

The amount of sodium silica, employed should comprise at least 10% and not in excess of of the detergent composition. Within the above limits the product does not absorb excessive amounts of moisture from humid air under conditions ordinarily encountered in the use of the detergent. The detergent remains free flowing, exhibiting no tendency to cake due to the silicate present.

What I claim is:

1. A detergent composition consisting per 100 parts thereof, of the following ingredients in parts by weight:

Parts mole of mercaptan "flu". 1 -2 4 Parts A sodium phosphate selected from the class consisting of tetrasodium pyrophosphate and sodium tripolyphosphate 20-430 Sodium silicate, NaaO 2 S10: ratio of 1:2

to 1:3 10-25 Starch 0-20 Alkaline material selected from the class consisting of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate and mixtures thereof- 10-25 Carboxy methyl cellulose 0.5- 5

2. A detergent composition consisting of the following ingredients in parts by weight:

Parts Condensation product of one mole of tertiary dodecyl mercaptan with 10 moles of ethylene oxide 20 Tetrasodium pyrophosphate 40 Sodium carbonate 24 Sodium silicate, No.20 SiO2=122 15 Carboxy methyl cellulose 1 3. A detergent composition consisting of the following ingredients in parts by weight:

Parts Condensation product of one mole of tertiary dodecyl mercaptan with 15 moles of ethylene oxide 20 Sodium tripolyphosp hate 40 Sodium carbonate: 15

Sodium silicate (anhydrous),

4. The process which comprises dissolving in water a detergent product having a composition as defined by claim 1 to form a detergent solution and then washing textiles therewith, said washing process being conducted in the presence of vitreous enameled or aluminum surfaces, whereby corrosion of said surfaces normally occurring in the absence of the sodium silicate contained in the said product is substantially prevented.

5. The process which comprises dissolving in water a detergent product having a composition as defined by claim 2 to form a detergent solution and then washing textile products therewith, said washing process being conducted in the presence of vitreous enameled or aluminum surfaces, whereby corrosion of said surfaces normally occurring in the absence of sodium silicate contained in said product is substantially prevented.

JAY C. HARRIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,205,021 Schultte et al June 18, 1940 2,296,690 Soderberg Sept. 22, 1942 2,335,194 Nusslein et al Nov. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 520,140 Great Britain Apr. 16, 1940 541,620 Great Britain Dec. 4, 1941 OTHER REFERENCES Ser. No. 434,620, Rudy et al. (A. P. 0.), published May 25, 1943, 

1. A DETERGENT COMPOSITION CONSISTING PER 100 PARTS THEREOF, OF THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS IN PARTS BY WEIGHT: 